Nicole Rozario has a running condition known as Excitement Deficit Disorder.

The notion of running laps upon laps around a flat track has no appeal for Rozario, a former Section 9 champion from Pine Bush. Throw a few hurdles, barriers and a water pit in her path, though, and you have a highly motivated competitor.

"She would prefer to run steeplechase any day over the flat track,'' said University of South Florida assistant coach Dana Reif. "If there was an indoor event for steeplechase, she would run it.''

Reif penciled in Rozario for a 5,000-meter run at a small meet this season. "I thought I was going to die, it was so boring,'' Rozario said.

Rozario, 19, lives for the steeplechase, and her passion — and speed — has carried her to this week's NCAA Division I championships in only her sophomore season at USF. Upon graduation from Pine Bush she told coach Al Schmidt that her goal was to make the collegiate nationals in her senior season, so she's ahead of schedule.

Rozario's path to the NCAA championships has been remarkable. Her freshman season at USF was ruined by a bout of mononucleosis, followed by stress fracture injuries in both of her legs. Before the injuries she had qualified for the 2009 U.S. Junior Nationals in Eugene, Ore., but had to skip the meet. That's why she is ecstatic to get a chance to run at the famed University of Oregon's Hayward Field.

"That is the place I really wanted to run,'' she said. "It's like my second chance.''

Reif said Rozario is USF's top cross country runner, and she had a good indoor track season. Rozario's spring debut in the steeplechase was 25 seconds better than her opening meet a year earlier.

"She's a distance runner who knows how to hurdle,'' Reif said. "She is such a competitor. It made her sick that she wasn't able to run her event,'' during her freshman season. "It made her desire to come in and work hard every day to make nationals.''

Her best mark of the season is 10 minutes, 23 seconds, but Reif and Rozario are both convinced a sub-10:20 time is possible. Rozario said she's going to have to post a career-best time in order to advance to Saturday's finals — running the second semifinal heat on Thursday should help identify what time she has to run in order to qualify.

"I would like to at least make finals,'' Rozario said. "It's going to be a good experience no matter what happens.''